Health officials in Placer County say a Tahoe-area resident died after contracting hantavirus.

According to a statement from county health officials, rodents at the home where the resident lived and worked were the likely source, health officials said.

They said the public is not at risk from the source tied to the resident’s death.

"We are very sorry to announce that hantavirus was involved in this tragic death of one of our community members," said Placer County Health Officer Rob Oldham said in a news release. "This unfortunate loss reminds us that hantavirus is very dangerous. But the silver lining is that hantavirus infections are quite rare and can be prevented. It appears that the source associated with this fatal infection has been cleaned.”

Placer County includes Lake Tahoe's northwest shore from about Homewood to the Nevada border near Crystal Bay.

Rodents can carry hantavirus and spread it via their urine, droppings and saliva.

The health officials' news release also included a list of activities that increase risk of contraction and another list of tips to minimize risk.

Avoiding hantavirus

Some activities that increase the risk of exposure to hantavirus in California include: